The Universal/Island re-releases have been conducted in a dignified and co-operative way which has been mutually helpful: some others have been exploitative (IMO) in an anniversary year with scant attention to detail.
The Universal/Island remasters are an absolute delight, yes (and not forgetting the Sandy/RT releases in that series). Having just acquired the BBC sessions box too - a little late - I can say the same about that too, these are definite and dignified releases and a fan's delight (sod the new 2CD L&L tho').
I guess newcomers though won't see the woods through the trees (er, is this English? Well it's a Dutch phrase anyway) with the avalanche of releases out there, especially from the last decade or so.
Actually, IMHO Before The Moon is a delight compared to some of these albums. Take Then & Now, a compilation album from 2002. Has a pic of the Full House line up and the earliest music is from the 80s. You wonder what nuthead puts together rubbish albums like that. I'm not saying the music on it isn't worthwile, but it's a completely unnecessary compilation and there are many of them.
Here's an idea, why not make a seperate Talkawhile topic in which each and every album with the Fairport name on it can be discussed, one entry for every title ever made available, basically for people who wonder whether they are worth it? Because so many are not, and in that I especially mean the 80s/90s material compilations of which there are an incredible lot. I'd say, get the original albums and you're set. The bulk of them are easy to get.
As Simon says, it's beyond the band's control, it's record companies basically doing as they please. That's quite sad.
This has nothing to do with Fairport but recently I read an interview with Dutch "chanteuse" Liesbeth List, quite a big name over here, as is her former musical partner Ramses Shaffy. She was quite amazed to learn that a god-knows-how-many-CD box was released of their work (from the 60s/70s) and she didn't know anything about it. Much as Simon or Jude have said in this forum that they are at times surprised at what gets released of their back catalogue. Now this multi CD box was quite expensive even but they won't see a penny from it. Liesbeth List might record with Shaffy again (who is in not very good health but still has music in him) and approached this (big) company whether they are interested in a whole new album - which for the connaisseur of their work (which I am not) would be quite a thing. They were not - it wouldn't sell, their answer was - and basically, "go away". I think List is actively discouraging people buying this box set, calling the company in question a bunch of thieves. But I understand much has to do with a naive signature in some contract in the 60s.
I suppose it must be quite disheartening to those who created the music in the first place.
But then, such is life.
